Speaker’s Bureau

Be more local. More inclusive. More interactive.

It’s a challenge that speaks to the unique role of public media in building an active and healthy society, and it’s a promise that WEDU is delivering on. Just ask the millions of viewers who rely on us for content that celebrates community, embraces diversity, and encourages all of us to join in the conversation. Or the thousands of online users who engage with us daily at wedu.org through our social media sites, or at any number of our special community events. Bringing together people and ideas, fueling imaginations — it’s what WEDU does best.

WEDU Staff

JackConelyInterim President & CEO, Vice President of Content

Television Programming and Production

Florida PBS Station Relations

Public Media Generalist

Jack Conely has more than 20 years experience in award-winning program development, production, and facilities management. As Vice President of Content at WEDU, he develops and oversees programming and production in addition to managing a revenue budget of over $1,000,000. He serves as the Executive Producer of the weekly political roundtable Florida This Week, in addition to the monthly programs in WEDU’s schedule: A Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins – winner of eight Emmy Awards, Suncoast Business Forum, and Up Close with Cathy Unruh. Jack most recently served as the Executive Producer of the Emmy Award- winning documentaries – The Florida Dream and Heroes from the Bay as well as past Emmy winners Central Avenue Remembered and Dolphin Rescue. National PBS credits have included Andre Rieu, Cartooning with Blitz, H.O.P.E. Formula, and Fiber 35: Nature’s Weight Loss Secret. He is a member of the Digital Media Advisory panels for St. Petersburg College and the Hillsborough County Schools New Media Production program.

JoyceCottonDirector of Marketing and Community Partnerships

Effective marketing opportunities utilizing the strengths of Public Media

Benefits of building brand recognition through events and cause related marketing strategies

Educational kids programming

Seizing the opportunity through arts and culture

Public Media Generalist

Twice recognized as Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Woman of the Year, Joyce Cotton is a well-respected marketing specialist with an insider’s knowledge of the arts and cultural community as well as children’s programming. Ms. Cotton has worked in the television industry for 35 years, beginning her broadcast television career with Scripps Howard Broadcasting ABC TV station WEWS in Cleveland, Ohio. After 25 years with Scripps Howard Broadcasting and WFTS TV-28, Joyce retired, and then joined the staff of WEDU 10 years ago where she serves as the Director of Marketing & Community Partnerships. Her primary responsibility is to generate awareness and revenues for WEDU whose reach and impact keeps growing to meet our communities evolving needs and interests.

WEDU Board of Directors

GeoffSimon

Building Better Boards

Financial Strength of Corporations

Foundations and Nonprofit Organizations

Executive Recruitment

The Business of Public Media

Collborative Community Partnerships for Organizaational Growth

Geoff Simon is Senior Vice President with Simon Johnson Stanger Wealth Advisors of Raymond James & Associates, and provides comprehensive financial planning and investment counseling for individual, corporate and institutional clients. Mr. Simon is also a WEDU staff alumnus. From 1983 -1990 he produced and hosted Suncoast Business Journal, an award-winning, weekly, regional business TV program. In addition to playing an active role on the station’s Board of Directors, and various committees, Geoff now hosts WEDU’s Suncoast Business Forum where he interviews the area’s most engaging businessmen and women about the triumphs and inspirations that shaped them into the successes they are today.

Community Advisory Board

AndyBragg

The Importance of Supporting of Public Media

News and Public Affairs Programming

Local Content

Andy Bragg was a financial publishing executive for 30 years before retiring at the end of 2007. He worked at Time Inc. and USA Today and was Vice President, Finance of Time Customer Service, Inc. (TCS) in Tampa for 20 years. He helped launch USA Today in Washington, DC and relocate TCS, Time Inc.’s fulfillment, computer and marketing support operations, from Chicago. His area’s responsibilities at TCS included magazine subscription and partnership accounting, postal support and general finance. He has a BS from Yale University and an MBA from Dartmouth College and passed the Certified Financial Planning exam. Currently he is a volunteer for SCORE and Hillsborough County’s literacy program and serves on WEDU’s Community Advisory Board.